How I invented Vodacom’s Please Call Me: Nkosana Makate

Nkosana Makate has won a prolonged legal battle against Vodacom over his Please Call Me idea, which made the mobile operator billions of rand.

The Constitutional Court recently ordered Vodacom to negotiate with Makate “in good faith” to determine “reasonable compensation” for his idea. Vodacom has been given one month to do so.

Makate is asking for 15c of every rand of revenue that the Please Call Me generated, which amounts to around R10.5 billion.

In an interview with eNCA following his victory, Makate explained how he came up with the idea for the Please Call Me service.

“The concept came about with my battles with my girlfriend, who is now my wife,” said Makate.

“I did not understand whether she does not call me because she does not have airtime, or whether she does not call me because she does not want to call me.”

“I had to make sure that I guarantee calls, or the initiation of calls coming from her, and that is how the penny dropped,” he said.

More on Vodacom’s Please Call Me

Con Court slams Vodacom over false Please Call Me story

Massive victory for Please Call Me idea-man against Vodacom

Vodacom Please Call Me case: the inside story